Delhi’s Toxic Smog: How Illegal Constructions in Posh Maharani Bagh Are Choking the Capital’s Lungs

New Delhi, November 17, 2025 — As Delhi NCR wakes up to yet another day shrouded in hazardous smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaching the severe category at 450+, the capital’s annual pollution emergency has reached a dangerous flashpoint. Post-Diwali firecrackers, stubble burning, and relentless vehicular emissions have created a toxic blanket over the city. But experts warn that another silent culprit—unchecked illegal constructions in upscale neighborhoods such as Maharani Bagh—is dramatically worsening the crisis.

These violations, often protected by local political patronage across party lines, are not merely breaking urban laws—they are destroying green belts, blocking critical drainage systems, and amplifying pollution exposure for millions, especially senior citizens.

The Supreme Court, acting on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed last week by environmental activists and RWAs, has summoned the Delhi government, MCD, and DDA for an urgent hearing tomorrow. The PIL seeks immediate enforcement of GRAP Stage 4 measures—including a ban on construction activity, demolition of illegal structures, and real-time data transparency.

“No religion or festival justifies this assault on public health,” the Court earlier observed, calling for “strict, non-partisan action” against all pollution sources.

Post-Diwali Haze: A Crisis Denied and Exposed

Diwali 2025, celebrated on October 20, plunged Delhi into “toxic darkness,” with PM2.5 levels crossing 488 µg/m³—over 100 times the WHO safe limit.

Despite the Supreme Court’s limited allowance for “green firecrackers,” widespread violations led to a 212% spike in particulate matter. Meanwhile, opposition parties—BJP and Congress—accused the AAP-led state government of manipulating pollution data and delaying GRAP enforcement. Only 9 of 37 monitoring stations were fully functional on Diwali night, triggering suspicions of deliberate underreporting.

Hospitals have recorded a 40% surge in respiratory cases since Diwali, particularly affecting the elderly in areas like Maharani Bagh, New Friends Colony, and Lajpat Nagar.

“We can’t even step out without masks. The air burns our lungs,” says 72-year-old Sunita Mehra of Lajpat Nagar.

The PIL demands zero-tolerance enforcement, mandatory real-time AQI data, and penalties for suppression of pollution metrics.

Illegal Constructions: The Hidden Polluter in Posh Pockets

While farm fires grab headlines, illegal constructions in Delhi’s affluent South East corridor have emerged as a stealthy yet potent pollution source.

Unauthorized multi-storey buildings, basements, and encroachments generate massive dust, destroy absorbent green areas, and block drains, turning whole localities into dust chambers and sewage backflow zones. Maharani Bagh is a glaring example.

Once a low-density, tree-covered enclave restricted to stilt-plus-two structures, the area now hosts dozens of illegal high-rises. The Maharani Bagh RWA has flagged over 50 unauthorized sites on CV Raman Marg alone—many reportedly supported by politicians across AAP, BJP, and Congress.

“No matter the party—these constructions thrive on blessings from the ground level,” says RWA President Shiv Mehra.

A recent DDA survey submitted to the Delhi High Court in May 2025 found 120 illegal encroachments in Maharani Bagh and Taimoor Nagar, choking the 40-foot Taimoor Nagar drain. This has caused frequent monsoon backflows into the posh colony.

The High Court’s demolition drive in Taimoor Nagar razed 100 structures, but residents allege selective targeting:

“Bulldozers hit the poor slums across the drain, but our builders get stay orders overnight,” says a New Friends Colony resident.

Other hotspots:

New Friends Colony: 30+ illegal basements releasing silica dust
Lajpat Nagar / Amar Colony: Single-storey homes converted into illegal towers
Ashram & Nehru Place–Okhla belt: Over 1,700 unauthorized structures pending action

Environmentalists link these violations to 25% higher PM10 levels in South East Delhi. A CSE report notes that dust from illegal sites in Maharani Bagh alone contributes 15–20% of winter smog in the district.

The Supreme Court has recently reiterated that “unauthorized constructions must be demolished without leniency.”

Political Patronage: A Bipartisan Blight

The crisis cuts across party lines:

AAP faces accusations of selective enforcement and failing to act on South Delhi violations.
Congress is blamed for legacy encroachments from its years of control.
BJP councillors are named in RWA complaints for delaying sealing operations.

“Local leaders from all parties turn a blind eye for ‘development fees’,” says a former DDA official.

The PIL urges a neutral special task force with no political interference.

The Path Forward: Demolitions, Accountability & Hope

Residents across Maharani Bagh, New Friends Colony, and Ashram are mobilizing. RWAs have submitted geotagged evidence of over 200 violations and are demanding:

Drone surveillance
AI-monitored enforcement
Mandatory demolition timelines
Pollution-offset funds from illegal builders
Restoration of green belts

“We’ve built empires on borrowed land; now the smog is our inheritance,” says Shiv Mehra.

With winter tightening its grip and AQI worsening each day, the Supreme Court’s upcoming order could become the bulldozer Delhi desperately needs—not just for drains and encroachments, but for the city’s right to breathe.

Townhall Times Bureau
Additional reporting from on-ground sources in South East Delhi.